ABC News Segment puts Consumers at Risk

The recent segment on the ABC News Segment “Real Money” may unfortunately put the American Consumer at risk of eye health problems by advocating the saving of money through purchasing of eyewear online.

The Opticians Association of America (OAA) recognizes that the ABC News segment “Real Money” routinely advocates for the average American by educating the viewer on how to find bargains on everything from NFL tickets to your auto repair bill. The episodes are rarely in depth or lengthy, but rather employ fast-food snippets of piecemeal information that can result in a more resourceful consumer. The episode that aired on October 24th, 2013 titled “Saving Money on Prescription Glasses and Contact Lenses” employs these same shorthanded techniques and while OAA believes purchasing football tickets or using an app to diagnose your automobile malfunction is essentially harmless, the same cannot be said for a person’s healthcare.

OAA understands ABC News may not have intended to trivialize the public’s vision health, but encouraging self-diagnosis and self-fitting of medical devices may in fact save the consumer money in the present; however it may cost the consumer more money in the long term, while irreparably harming the unknowing online purchaser.

Opticians Association of America encourages the public to shop around, look for coupons on the internet or newspaper, and identify the best eyewear or contact lenses at the lowest price, but do so with the consultation of a professional optician with the experience and expertise to guide the consumer through the options related to their healthcare needs. The “do it alone” approach might save you a quick buck today, only to cause a real problem tomorrow.